Archives for July 2017

A group dedicated to preventing gun violence has concerns, over a bill that could have Wisconsin high schools teaching kids how to safely handle guns. The legislation from Republican lawmakers requires the Departments of Public Instruction, and Natural Resources to develop the curriculum.

The bill (AB 427), which its authors say is in response to a growing interest in trap shooting among Wisconsin students, is set for a committee hearing at the Capitol on Thursday. It’s lead author is Representative Ken Skowronski (R-Franklin).

If a district offers the course, it must be taught or supervised by a person trained in firearms safety. “The way the bill is written, that might be people from the NRA or other lobbying groups,” Dickman said.

Milwaukee left-hander Brent Suter held the first place Chicago to just four hits over seven shutout innings and the Brewers went on to beat the Cubs 2-1 in their series opener at Miller Park on Friday night. Suter (2-1) walked one and struck out five before 42,575 fans at Miller Park.

The Brewers scored on a pair of RBI groundouts in the second and fourth innings and finished 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position, but it was enough to pull out the win and climb to within a half-game of the Cubs for the Central Division lead.

The Cubs only run came on a long solo home run off the bat of Javier Baez in the 8th inning. It came off of Brewers newcomer Anthony Swarzak. It was Swarzak’s first appearance as a Brewer.

The Cubs saw their nine-game road win streak snapped and while the Brewers were coming off a 2-8 road trip, they’ve now won 10 of their last 12 games at Miller Park.

Game two of the series is tonight (6:10 p.m.) at Miller Park. Junior Guerra (1-4, 5.22) goes for the Brewers and Kyle Hendricks (4-3, 3.95) gets the nod for the Cubs.

A federal investigator says a Minnesota woman injured when a seaplane flipped over in choppy water on Lake Winnebago Thursday night has died.

Two others on board the plane were hurt, and one of them is still in critical condition. A fourth person, a rescue diver in the water, was also injured by burning fuel.

The Winnebago County sheriff’s department says they were trying to take off, near the EAA AirVenture grounds. Deputies say two people were trapped in the plane, and a third person was able to get out. One of the three was released from a hospital.

President Donald Trump has replaced Reince Priebus as his chief of staff. Trump announced Friday afternoon on Twitter that he has named Secretary of Homeland Security, General John F. Kelly, to the post.

I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American….

The 45 year-old Preibus, a former chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the Republican National Committee, held the White House post for just over 6 months. It was the shortest tenure for a president’s first White House chief of staff since World War II. Newly named White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci suggested this week that Priebus was responsible for leaks to the media.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos also took to Twitter on Friday, in defense of Preibus, calling his dismissal a “dumb move” by White House insiders.

Preibus, a New Jersey native whose family moved to Wisconsin when he was 7 years old, graduated from Kenosha Tremper High School and UW Whitewater. He earned a law degree, and in 2007 became the youngest person elected to chair the RPW. He served three terms as RNC chair, beginning in 2011.

As RNC chair, Priebus gained media attention with unsubstantiated claims that elections in Wisconsin were plagued by what he termed “widespread voter fraud” — claims which helped to lay the groundwork for the passage of controversial voter ID legislation.

While Priebus had at times been critical of candidate Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, President Trump announced him as his choice for White House Chief of Staff shortly after he won the election.

Governor Scott Walker is calling lawmakers in for a special session to approve an incentive package that’s needed to get Foxconn to come to Wisconsin.

The proposal released Friday afternoon includes the nearly $3 billion in tax incentives offered to the Taiwanese electronics maker, which will help it build a new factory in the southeastern corner of the state. Foxconn has pledged to make a $10 billion investment in Wisconsin, which includes creating as many as 13,000 jobs.

The bill also includes changes in the environmental permitting process for the facility, along with $252 million in bonding for the Interstate-94 north-south corridor project. That bonding would be contingent on the state also receiving federal funds.

The special session is scheduled to start Tuesday, although it’s not yet known when lawmakers will actually vote on the bill.

Milwaukee police chief Ed Flynn has been given another 30 days to come up with a new vehicle pursuit policy. The fire and police commission Thursday night granted Flynn’s request for more time to comply with the commission’s order that he come up with a new plan, or face losing his job.

Flynn said he needs the extra time to devleop a plan that is workable and legal. “We want to craft a policy that meets your concerns, that’s consistent with city attorney advice,” Flynn said.

Under current policy officers can continue pursuit only if they have reason to believe the car being chased was involved in a violent crime. Flynn plans to consult with other police departments to find out what they are doing.

“We going to do our due dillegence here. I’m not going to drag my feet, I’m not making excuses,” Flynn said. “We will craft a new a new policy.” The chief now has until August 27th to come up with the new policy.

Greenfield police have identified the suspect in the brutal beating of a woman during an attempted carjacking as 18 year-old Corlean Thomas.

During the incident, which occurred on Friday, July 21, a 31-year-old woman was repeatedly punched in the face by a man with brass knuckles. The woman was in a parking lot at the time and said she was attacked while trying to get out of her car. She said a man yanked the door open and began punching her in the face. He also tried to pull her out of the car.

Police have already arrested a 16 year-old girl who they say was also involved in the attempted carjacking.

Madison police are looking for suspects in a shooting that left one person dead and another wounded early Friday. Police Chief Mike Koval said callers in on north side neighborhood reported “a loud verbal dispute” before shots were fired. “This is at its core a situation of anger,” Koval said.

A 24 year-old woman died from her injuries, and a 44 year-old man is hospitalized. Police are looking for two suspects. It’s Madison’s ninth homicide this year. Police are also still looking for suspects in a fatal west side shooting Tuesday morning. Koval doesn’t believe the two incidents are related.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says he’s disappointed in the outcome of a vote overnight that was aimed at repealing Obamacare.

The U.S. Senate fell short early Friday morning on efforts to pass what’s been called the “skinny repeal,” which was a stripped down version of the legislation designed to repeal and replace Obamacare. Several Republicans, including Johnson, had voiced concerns that the measure did not go far enough, but pledged to support it if they had assurances from the House of Representatives that it would only be used as a vehicle to get the issue into a conference committee.

Three Republicans – Sens. John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins – killed the effort by voting against it.

In a statement released early this morning, Johnson said he was “disappointed not only in the failure to pass legislation to begin to repair the damage done by Obamacare, but also in the dysfunctional process that directly led to this result.”

“Too many people have been harmed to allow tonight’s vote to be the end,” the Wisconsin Republican said “In the coming weeks my committee will hold hearings to lay out the realities of our health care system, and I am committed to working with anyone who is serious about addressing these issues. Americans deserve far better than their elected officials have delivered to this point.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who joined Democrats in voting against the bill, said in a statement that now is the time for both parties to work together to find a solution. “As I have said throughout this debate, now is the time to work together to make things better by stabilizing the health insurance market, making health care more affordable, and taking on rising prescription drug costs,” she said.

An attorney for convicted murderer Steven Avery is offering $10,000 to anyone who can prove he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Avery attorney Kathleen Zellner released a questionnaire this week, which is aimed at those who claim Avery is guilty of the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. It offers a reward to anyone who can provide credible evidence to fully answer the 100 questions and establish that Avery is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Over the last 19 months, we have heard and read numerous claims that Steven Avery is guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach. Without exception, the authors of these claims simply do not know the facts of the case nor do they address the most blatant discrepancies in the State’s case against Mr. Avery,” it reads. “The Proof of Guilt Challenge is specifically designed to elicit from these commentators credible evidentiary support for their opinion that Mr. Avery is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey were convicted for the 2005 murder of Halbach, who disappeared after she went to the Avery family salvage yard to take photos of a vehicle. Her vehicle and the burned remains of her body were found were later found on the property. Both men were sentenced to life in prison. Attempts to appeal their convictions picked up new momentum in the past year, following the release of a Netflix series about the case.